Paul Smoker

"Paul has taken all of the world around him and put it into his trumpet.
The result is some of the most expressive, personal, and original music heard anywhere."
Coda

"That was an amazing display of technique, first of all. To rate this technically everybody the drummer included, has a lot of chops ...
I enjoyed listening to it. I'll tell you what, he was really pumping those valves and, has an extremely good double tongue technique."
Maynard Ferguson, in a Downbeat "Blindfold" test, 1995

"What Paul Smoker produced on his horn was unheard in these latitudes...
To the widely discussed question about the future development of the jazz trumpet, Paul Smoker's musical concept could definitely constitute a far-reaching answer."
Jazz Podium

"Smoker.. is a wonder, offering a style that boasts traditional trumpet virtues-a full but malleable sound, along with a powerful, swaggering swing-and an insatiable need for venturesome experimentation.
His trio ... breathes this demanding music at a level of superconsciousness; they're tighter than spandex."
Chicago Reader

“Paul is an important trumpeter because he is one of the first to combine an interest in experimental new music with killer jazz and big-band chops. For that reason he has been an inspiration to us all…
I'll always be thankful for Paul Smoker's vision and his generosity in sharing it with me.”
Dave Douglas